How I sold my cowboy boots for $10,000 (for reals)…and the big BRAVE GIRL surprise that was waiting for me at the end….

So…you may or may not know…but a little miracle happened last Friday…and it all started with an idea….that started with love for a sister. (and the whole thing came right back around to creating all sorts of miracles that had to do with love for a sister) …..and it had a whole lot to do with these boots right here…my very favorite boots.. Old Gringo Sora boots….my dream boots…….

This is going to be a little bit long….but I promise it will be worth it for you to stick with it…because this is a DANG good story. There was a whole secret conspiracy going on that no one here at Brave Girls Club knew about…and this is the story of how we found out. And I want you to read this because YOU are in this story…and don’t you want to know what someone is writing about YOU? 🙂 And it is a story with some controversy, some wild and craziness and some really good stuff that ends up overcoming every #(*$^$#&TQ@ thing that we use to make us think that we aren’t allowed to love each other or work together or be sisters forever who take care of each other, no matter what our differences are.

THis isn’t a fundraising story…and I’m not asking you for anything. I just want to tell you about what YOU ALL did for me when I asked you to help me sell my boots.

I will tell you that in the end……it was not just $10,000 for the boots……but nearly $60,000 total. In nearly impossible ways. Ways that don’t really make much sense.

AND….

I will include lots of photos to make sure that you don’t get distracted. 🙂 ..and because there is so much beauty that I want to share with you. And I’m just gonna beg you one more time to read all the way through this. It’s your choice whether you read it or not but I want you to know that I wrote it for YOU.(and I wrote it for me too)

You will wonder why I am veering off in weird directions, but I promise that it is all important…and that it will all come back around together………..this is a really cool story.

And there are SO MANY SPECIFIC INSTANCES that I could include here…but I am just using a few. There are hundreds of them, really. There are so many of you who I wanted to mention specifically…….but I spent the day looking at photos of how all of this REALLY happened….and I have been in tears all day looking at the hundreds of you who converged…the thousands of you who converged…and how it is escalating…and how we gotta keep this ball rolling, sisters.

We don’t have time anymore to qualify each other. We gotta love each other RIGHT NOW.

But anyway…I decided that I was going to sacrifice my favorite boots (you can read about it here if you don’t know that part of the story)I wanted to show my seriousness for my love for our sisters in Manila who need a new safe house so that more women and girls can be rescued out of sex trafficking. (again, you can read more about that here) It really, truly, just started with a little idea because of love for a sister….in Manila…I love all of my sisters in Manila….all of OUR sisters…and I knew you would too. So I wanted to walk my talk….I wanted to show you that I was going to sacrifice my favorite belonging and I was going to ask you also to sacrifice $10 or however much you could…or even something that you really loved. To sacrifice means to give up something really good for something even better. To get our sisters this safe house is even better than these boots………but what happened was even better than that…AND our sisters got their safe house too.

Ok so…first I want to tell you how I got these boots, and why they are so special to me…..

In 2011 I went through a HUGE SHIFT. Maybe it was because I turned 40….something crazy happens when you are 40…but I had this huge shift where all of a sudden I felt REALLY DONE with hurting about things from my past. I felt REALLY DONE with relationships that were hurting or exploiting or abusing my soul, I felt REALLY DONE making excuses….and I felt REALLY READY to do all of the big things that my heart wanted to do. One of the things I wanted to do was have my own solo art show. When I told a few of my close friends…it was planned within hours…so…I had a show at my dear friend, Elida’s studio right outside of Portland, in a little sweet town called Camas…..on 11/11/11 and I sold every single piece I brought…..almost 40 pieces…

And that all happened….because people showed up. SO MANY PEOPLE SHOWED UP. SO MANY BRAVE GIRLS SHOWED UP….People showed up from the whole surrounding area…BRAVE GIRLS FLEW THERE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, and and loved ones showed up from HOME…which was a 9 hour drive or a flight to get there…….it was a full house. They showed up to love a sister. I was overwhelmed by this. Dang it, I am crying again.

I remember coming right before the show started and seeing all of my friends and family from home standing in the gallery before the show started……I will never forget that…that came so far to support me.

and my friends in Camas, Washington were so amazing….they had a reception and made it such a special all-day event. We had so much fun….

I love these sisters with all of my heart……but…this is not a slide show of my life…I am going somewhere with this……

The night before the art show…..I also taught a painting class at Elida’s studio….and SO MANY PEOPLE SHOWED UP…it was a full house….I met women who had taken my online courses….women who had been reading my blog for years….women who were my sisters that I had not met yet (and your sisters too) ……BRAVE GIRLS…. and so many friends had flown in from all over the country…..and they were there too….

and we made art and made art and made art………and that night….I met someone else who has become a really really really important start of this story…in fact, she took me in the back room and told me a few things……(and this is not the blog post for that story…but I want you to remember when I tell you in a few weeks…that THIS was the night that I met Lisa…) Here we are…in the back room….her telling me some pretty darned miraculous things….

Ok….so what I am trying to tell you is that over that 11/11/11 weekend……it was a whole bunch of my biggest dreams come true….all wrapped into one weekend….all of these sisters coming together….meeting each other…having a blast….and I sold 2 years of paintings…..sooooo….that made it so that I could buy these very special boots….and, in fact, I ordered them online from Camas so that they would be at my house by the time I got home. I figured it was a 40 year old bday present and a representation of stepping out to live my dreams in my BRAVE GIRL BOOTS…..of letting all of my paintings go so that I could start over fresh…..and when I got home, I put them on…..and here I am by the fire….right after I go them…I LOVE these boots. I didn’t think I could love them more than I did that day…but today, I love them even more…….and I love that they are getting packed into a box and heading out to someone very special who is gonna get some serious brave girl mojo every time she wears them….

But now…I must tell you how it happened that so many people showed up at the art show………because this is important. This is a BRAVE GIRL SNOWBALL EFFECT, ok?

Lots of you know that in 2004, my worst nightmare came true…and it got worse and worse and lasted for nearly 6 years. (my husband’s traumatic brain injury) I blogged about it all along……I was so lonely, so afraid, and needed so much to have a place to be able to talk honestly about my feelings and struggles and how much I wanted to be brave (brave girls did not start until 2009, so this was before that) Anyway….I blogged…and people showed up at my blog. Some of these sisters who were essentially strangers, would write me letters and notes and I am sure at the time, they had no idea that they were keeping me going. Sheesh, dang it, I am crying again because this all turns out so miraculously beautiful in the end……ok…so…..I remember getting comments on my blog from September, yes that is her name, September……I remember her commenting on my blog and it was like she really knew me…really cared about me…….I remember Janet Wilson….and her comments…..and how awesome she seemed….I remember Sandi Tyger….and her amazing funny ways…..this was all wayyy before Brave Girls Club started….but these really were my sisters….my friends.

Then, Facebook started…..

And we all became Facebook friends…now, I could know them too. I started to chat online with some of them….and Janet and I became friends who would chat nearly every night.

I started telling her about what I REALLY wanted to do…….Kathy and I were working SO MUCH in the corporate world….and I told Janet that we really wanted to start Brave Girls Club…every night…she would encourage me to get it rolling……..when things happened the way that they did…..and Kathy and I walked away from our jobs to start BGC….Janet got on a plane and showed up at our first Brave Girl TEST CAMP. in 2009…………so did Ali, our friend from Australia who we had never met in person…and Camille……they all showed up….and all 5 of us did the most amazing little camp….and decided that this was DEFINITELY a good idea….and booked our first real camp immediately…

Again…I remember going outside of the cabin and looking in at what was going on….and feeling so profoundly blessed at who had shown up for this….at the way it was so magic…at the way it was beautiful because of every unique soul there…because of the love for a sister…..to a sister……..and a sister……..

A sister from Nashville, and Australia and 3 from Idaho………….in the end….it didn’t really matter where any of us were from…in any way…

Well…….THEN….we started having LOTS of camps…and guess what, I finally got to meet September…and Sandi………..and so many others who had kept me going for all of those horrible years……..I finally got to hug them and look them in the eye and guess what? It was even better than I ever could have imagined…..and it made us even closer than we were before…and like I said before, I could put hundreds of names in here…but these are the photos I could track down today….and these were the girls who were there very early on……sisters for sure….your sisters, my sisters…

Here’s September…

And here’s Sandi…

Goodness gracious….that was amazing…..just like every single time we get to finally be united with the sisters we didn’t know we had…

Well……..this kept going on…and on and on and on…..and at camp…September met more Brave Girls…….and at Sandi’s camp….she met more Brave Girls….and every single Brave Girl who has ever come to camp has met other Brave Girls…and has met us…and we all became family.

One of our biggest dreams was to unite Brave Girls with each other so that no one ever had to feel alone again……but something even bigger happened that we did not expect……

AND HERE IS THE THING THAT I WANT YOU TO READ OUT OF THIS BLOG POST IF YOU DO NOT READ ANYTHING ELSE…….In a circle, at one of our camps…..at any given camp….you might find in the same circle, an elderly widow, a college student, a middle aged woman, a catholic, a buddhist, an atheist, a lesbian, a republican, a democrat, a pagan, an evangelical christian, a mormon, someone who has been married forever in a great marriage, someone who is in an abusive marriage, someone who is divorced,someone who doesn’t believe in marriage, someone who would give anything to be able to get married, someone with lots of kids, someone with no kids, an alcoholic, a food addict, an anorexic……the list goes on and on….as you know….

I could list SO MANY THINGS that we use to divide ourselves from each other. You will find it all in the same circle at Brave Girl Camp….every camp….going on 20 camps now. Only….in most cases…..Kathy and I are the only one who know only SOME of those details.Because of the nature of our camps……..we get straight into soul matters…..we brush past the small talk and we go straight into the important stuff. WE SEE EACH OTHER…REALLY SEE EACH OTHER. Labels are never even discussed….no one even cares. There is no time for that. We are there as souls, doing soulwork….and as strangers at first………….the beautiful thing about this is that as the week progresses….the love and support and sisterhood is so deep…..THAT NOTHING COULD EVER HAPPEN TO EVER CHANGE THE WAY WE FEEL ABOUT EACH OTHER. Even if, suddenly, you found out that you were sitting next to someone who is a member of the political party or religion or sexuality or whatever that you had been told (even by yourself) that you could NEVER have anything to do with. It is too late…..you are already madly in love with each other. None of that stuff matters…you are sisters.

So…then I attended Matrilumina….where again, great levels of diversity exist…which is beautiful, and scary, and vulnerable………and beautiful…and scary. BUT…I learned…the same thing happens there….once we circle together…it does not matter ONE TINY BIT what our differences are….it is too late to care, we are already madly in love with each other….

and then I TAUGHT t at Matrilumina where, many girls who have been to Brave GIrl Camp before came to have a different experience with me….and I hoped and hoped and hoped that it will still work out….that everyone would still love each other…still give each other a chance….in spite of all of the diversity…..AND…my friends….it happend AGAIN…

I thought…man…I wish EVERY WOMAN from EVERY CLASS and EVERY CAMP and EVERY OTHER RETREAT could all just meet each other……….because I know for sure they would fall in love with each other before they had a chance to even ask about their differences……they would know for sure THAT WE ARE ALL SISTERS…..and WE HAVE GOT TO START TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER…NO MORE QUALIFYING EACH OTHER!!!

So….back to the boots………….I announced that I would give my boots up for the auction. Immediately other Brave Girls from all over the world wanted to give up their favorite things, or wanted to make art to auction, or just wanted to donate money. This was all done in A VERY SHORT TIME…a MATTER OF DAYS….Kathy sat with the team for 2 days straight entering items into the auction website, ITEMS THAT ALL OF YOU DONATED!!! The team at BGC spent days doing this…while running the company simultaneously. We had NO IDEA this would get so big. And we needed the money fast for the safe house, so we decided to make it a 24 hour auction….Thursday night to Friday night……

Well….I don’t know if you watched….but it was very very very exciting….Another person who came into my life in all sort of crazy ways in the last few years is Brandi…..she started SHE’S WORTH IT…and when I found out about human trafficking in late 2011…..I found her…and she educated me. She helped us EVERY STEP OF THE WAY with this fundraiser…setting up the cash donation site and everything that goes along with that…….she is a story for another day. She flew to Boise to spend the weekend with me shortly after we met….where we stayed up all night talking about how to help our sisters in slavery….to see this auction happen together was pretty awesome for us…here’s us lighting sparklers out at the ranch….

Ok…so….back to the boots….

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw how high the boots were going. How much money they were getting. I saw first $500 and $1000 and then $1500 and then $1800 and then it started getting VERY CRAZY. $2000…..$3000…..$4000…….

and all of the other beautiful items were going too……..for a LOT! Kathy and I kept texting each other….we are up to $5000 in bids!!! We are up to $10,000 in bids!!!!!! We are at $15,000 in bids!!! OH MY GOSH!!! ANd we are at $30,000 in cash bids!!!!!!!!!!!! You can imagine how exciting that was!!! We were exhausted from all of the nights of preparation but we stayed up all night to watch the bids go up. The auction ended at 1:00am our time. Midnight went by and the boots were still climbing…..all of the bids were still climbing….the cash donations were still climbing…..at 1:00am the boots were at nearly $5000 and we had over $20,000 in bids!!!!! WE WERE AT OVER $50,000 in total donations…..

WELL……….

At exactly 1:00am I got a facebook message from Lisa…..who I met at camp a few years ago…and who like all of you, has become such an important sister to me….here’s us on a long walk at camp…and again at Matrilumina last month…

The boots…the message from Lisa…..ok…by this time…I was so super excited about letting go of my beloved boots….really….they were going to do SO MUCH GOOD in Manila……

Lisa sent me a message and said….please go to this Facebook Page….“Melody’s Boot Fund” Brave Girls from all over the world were working together to raise money to win the bid to buy my boots, because they wanted to give them back to me………..OH THE TEARS……

Then….I clicked on the ABOUT page of this Facebook page…and there, I saw the faces of all of the different Brave Girls from all of the years….WORKING TOGETHER…FINALLY MEETING EACH OTHER……THEY ALL SHOWED UP…FOR THE LOVE OF A SISTER.

and I can say…that at 1:05am…..in my dark house…..completely exhausted….I just sat and bawled my eyes out…I saw SEPTEMBER and SANDI and JANET and LISA and DIANNE and my Matrilumina friends…..and sooooooooooooo many others…all on the same page.

So….in the end, they didn’t win the boots. But they sure won my heart. They sure won hundreds more sisterhoods with each other as they worked for 24 hours together to make it happen. They sure won what is most important. And…they raised nearly $5000………….so, with the winning bid, and their money…and the money from another amazing donor who offered me $1000 in donations to not auction off my boots so I could keep them (such kind hearts you all are)….these boots ended up raising nearly $10,000…..and brought sisters together from all over the world, all walks of life….all religions…all ages….all political beliefs….JUST SISTERS….JUST SOULS. And, it’s too late, they are all already in love with each other, and there is nothing that can ever change that.

And that, my friends….is the best news ever.

AND….THE DAHLIA HOUSE IS NOW A REALITY (and so much more about that coming soon….but I wanted to tell you this story and say THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART) …..AND….beg you to keep the ball rolling. Throw away your list of qualifiers. Love each other NOW…..no matter what. Let’s take care of each other….let’s be good to each other.

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH,

melody

p.s. I want to hear YOUR SIDE OF THE STORY….I still don’t know….anyone who was involved in this…..I would love to see it through YOUR eyes. 🙂 I have heard that many of you have had beautiful experiences with those who won your items, etc….would love to hear ALL of those stories!!!!!

And big huge ENORMOUS THANK YOU’S to every single one of you from wherever you are who participated in this auction!!!!! Thank you for donating your beautiful treasures!! Thank you for every single bid and every single dollar that you contributed!!! I know that for each of you there is a story of your own sacrifice, your own story of why you wanted to join together with us to do this big amazing thing for our sisters in Manila! WE LOVE YOU!!! We appreciate you!! Our sisters in Manila talk about you and want us to pass along their unbelievable gratitude, gratitude that you care for them, that you even know they are there and that you are extending your hand to lift them. THANK YOU! Don’t ever doubt that YOU BELONG!! We hope to continue to hear from you in emails and through the blog and through our Facebook page and maybe even meet you in person one day. We would love to hear YOUR STORY, your point of view on this Dahlia House experience!!! YOU MATTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You really really really matter and we’re so thankful to YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS TRIBE OF BRAVE GIRLS!!!

I am so touched by Melody’s overflowing post, and all the comments. Many of the things I’m feeling have already been said by others. And the specific events (the auction and Dahlia House and everything connected) are already such huge things all in themselves.

But when you are talking about love, and living love in such dynamic ways, the ripple effects just cannot be contained. The part in Melody’s post where she talked about being with groups of people who could be seen to carry such diverse labels, and how “normally” such labels would likely divide those groups, or perhaps prevent them from ever meeting . . . but that oops! love had gotten there first . . and once you found yourself madly in love with someone, the labels just no longer existed.

That is the part that is reaching out and grabbing me today, several days after Melody’s post first appeared, and most of the comments were left. I realize that what I’m saying here won’t likely be read by many, or any, since it is coming so late. But the truth of it will be felt. And maybe I am just needing to affirm this for myself: love–deep, divine, powerful love–melts through any superimposed label that would divide. I commit myself here, and will re-commit as often as needed–to love with that depth and abandon. I will find and re-find the bravery and courage needed to do so. Our world needs this. Our Creator made us to live this way.

I am so thrilled to hear how this turned out. When I read the story of how you were going to auction off your boots, I thought, “I wish I had enough money to buy them and give them back to her!” I am so, so glad that other Brave Girls had the same beautiful idea. I have been too sick to work for almost 2 years now, and money is very scarce, but I have been deeply touched by the work you have been doing for the women of the Philippines. It makes me so happy to know that my little donation helped to buy a safe place for them to live. It is amazing what we can do when we all work together!

Many members of your Brave Girls Club reached out to us – I informed the Old Gringo himself of what you had done for such a good cause with your beloved Old Gringo Sora boots. The Old Gringo wants to know what size boots you wear so we can send you out a new pair of Old Gringo Sora boots! Please email me your boot size and where we should ship your new boots! Amy@oldgringoboots.com

To Becky and our beautiful Manila Brave Girl Sisters: My heart is full of love for you and I’m so honored to have been just one of many tiny pebbles that are sending out a big ripple of love and hope to you all. Distance does not matter, we are all women and we have so very much in common. Blessings to you of love, hope and a brand new future. I do believe in miracles and I witnessed one last Friday as so many of us came together not just for you, but for all women and girls around the globe. This is just the beginning. XOXO

Oh and I figured out the REAL reason I’m not in that Matrilumina Group pic. That wasn’t even my group! lol That was the one that was last August. My mistake. I am however, in the camp picture below it and hadn’t even noticed that. 🙂
xoxoxo

I just wanted to say to Rebecca that my heart goes out to our sisters in Manilla and it breaks to even think about what they have been through in their short lives. My hope is that each of the girls in Dahlia House really KNOWS how much we all care about them, even if we haven’t met in person…they are our SISTERS, and in this sisterhood comes the power to set them and ourselves free. As Melody says…”By helping others, we heal ourselves.” I truly believe this is true. I hope one day to be able to go out and be in the trenches per se, and be able to help in a more hands on way since my former profession as a respiratory therapist was a “helping” career and I did love my job very much. Learning about the help you are giving these girls gives me hope that one day my turn will come and I will meet some of these wonderfully brave sisters and hopefully help them escape the horrors they have faced. I honor you Rebecca and the work you are doing. It’s so important. xoxo <3

Oh sweet Becky A from clear across the big wide ocean, I feel so close to you and all of my sisters in the Dahlia House, how is it that an ocean could possibly separate us? As the date that all of the funds were needed drew nearer I thought of you and the girls many times a day. You were often in my prayers.. The amount of money that was needed was so large compared to what I had to give, and my little heart was worried my sweet sisters. I am not sure who added me to the brave girl boot fund conversation. I was on a spring break vacation with my kids and could only see the messages a little at a time on the small screen of my phone. Man I had a hard time getting Internet connection but the connection I felt With the amazing women who came together for the girls in Manila and our dear Melody was worth all of the standing of Top of hills with my phone in the air.

This story is sooo incredibly beautiful and touching. Melody…it just shows me how very, very much you LOVE and are LOVED. YOU are the dearest sweetest sister!!!! I, too read your blog for many years. I will never forget readiing about your husband and losing your company and your house. Your words were so raw and real and full of emotion. I knew you were TRUE. I knew you were STRONG. When I heard about Brave Girls Club I KNEW I had to be a part of it!! I have not been to camp yet but taken nearly all your classes and have changed so much of my life!!! YOU ARE AMAZING and I truly love you and all that you do. You inspire me and make me want to be a better human being!!

It’s taken me a few days to be able to process what I wanted to say here. First off, I agree with what everyone above me has stated. What an honor to have been part of this amazing demonstration of love in action. Thank you, dear Melody, Kathy and all the Brave Girls organization for giving unconditional love to all and spreading this love and compassion to the world. My word for the year is compassion, and what a beautiful example of that this is.

I moved 4 years ago to a new area that is seasonal for at least half of the residents. I have found it difficult to make friends even at work (which is on-call and seasonal, too). It is a days drive away from where I used to live. I long for friendships with other women and really miss this in my life. There’s a hole there that I’m trying to fill. I’ve suffered from depression during this time and was really hit this winter with illness. BGC has really helped so very much. I’ve taken SR and both art classes (LOVE!) and have been making some connections through these. But being part of this amazing group to raise money for our sisters in Manila has uplifted me to new heights! Helping others is truly a way to help yourself. Knowing that we were part of helping our sisters have a beautiful new and larger home in Manila where they can help more sisters begin a new journey in life is such a source of joy and love to me.

I AM part of this wonderful tribe, making more and more friends and I know someday I will meet in person to love and hug is something I am looking forward to. I WILL get to BG Camp and in the meantime, I will continue to nurture the loving relationships with my new BG sisters. If anyone lives in or near, or visits, the Palm Springs area, let me know! I’d love to meet you and share some BG fun and love.

Surrounding you all in love and light and in gratitude for the compassion and beauty we are expressing into the world.

I couldn’t get myself to type for minutes after reading this and all the stories here… my eyes we’re in tears while reading and still crying right now while typing, and these are tears of joy, I couldn’t find the right words how my heart feels right now, but one thing is sure… to you Melody, people behind the Brave Girls Club, all the Brave Girls all over the world who became a part of the Dahlia project… THANK YOU VERY MUCH from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being a good sisters to us, you have let us feel what is the real meaning of what we call UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Though we haven’t met in person, our hearts meets towards helping and loving our sisters here in Manila. I love you all dearly.

I just want to say thank you! Thank you to you and Kathy for creating Brave Girls Club. Thank you for following your heart and being such an inspiration to so many. Thank you for leading by example and showing those of us who are just learning to be brave that anything is possible. The auction was such a perfect example of that.

I found the Brave Girls Club quite by accident this January while googling “brave girls” in search of a gift for my niece. It was perfect timing. I had just turned 40 and am making some pretty brave and bold moves in my life right now. I signed up for the daily emails and couldn’t believe that someone was dedicating their life to sending an email out simply to make women feel better about themselves. It is the kindest gesture I may have ever encountered. I quickly signed up for Soul Restoration and am so sad that there are only a few weeks left, but it has honestly changed my life. I only wish I had found the site sooner so I could have made it to camp this year. I will wait for the 2014 dates with complete excitement!

Britt, thank you for the sweet note! I wanted to make sure you knew that although the registration window for Soul Restoration closes on April 16, you will have until MID SUMMER to complete the class, so lots and lots and lots of time. (and you are so welcome…we’re blessed to have you here!) love, kathy

Oh Shana, just start!!! That’s all you need to do. First off, sign up for the A Little Birdie Told Me emails. They will be the high point of your day, More times than not, I think Melody wrote that email directly to ME. I don’t know how she does it but she knows our hearts, she sees our hearts and talks directly too them. Take one of the Brave Girl classes. Any of them and you will never be able to turn back!!! You are so loved and you deserve to be loved. Not only by others but by yourself. Now, go to facebook and friend me! Now you have one Facebook friend and you’ll get more and more from there! https://www.facebook.com/christine.nay.7?ref=tn_tnmn

I was lucky enough to be part of the original group of emails and it was only because I am in one of the online classes and have gotten to know so many beautiful, amazing brave girls. Joelle sent a few ladies a private message and asked us to add who we thought would want to participate and, like has been said over and over, it snow balled. I couldn’t believe it but by the end of the night, we were 190 strong and had raised so much money.

I’ve been crying for the last hour while reading Melody’s post and while reading the comments from all the Brave Sisters I met that night. It wasn’t really about the money we raised although that was very important too. It was about the relationships that were developed during that 24 hours. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

I found myself sitting at the computer every minute I was awake for 2 days. I didn’t even want to go make something to eat. I wanted to read every word of hope and encouragement that was shared. I still don’t think I can put into words what was shared. I’m so happy that Melody and my other Brave Sisters have done it for me. This group that Kathy and Melody started is truly amazing. I went to camp in July 2010 and will be going again in October and can’t wait to meet even more Brave Girls!!!

I’m sitting here crying after reading all of the beautiful words. I’m crying because I’m missing this connection with other women in my life. With anyone, really. And I need it. I’ve survived many years of struggles but somewhere along the way Ii think I lost myself and shut myself off. Now I don’t know how to start again. An online class? A camp? If any of you have a word of guidance I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

I played such a small part in this escapade – and escapade it was! I was brought into the fold by… I think Mel. There were already close to 100 brave girls in on this private convo, and fb did NOT like it – kept having to prove I wasn’t a robot just to answer someone.

I remember watching as an ‘anonymous’ bidder stayed in high bid, so I jumped in – so that we’d know it was one of us bidding.

I (we!) was still in the lead when I went to bed… knowing I wouldn’t see the results until morning…

but in the hours before bed, I got to be a part of the most amazing group of brave girls EVAH. we were laughing, crying, screaming…

all because we love you – and we love Brave Girls.

Because you changed OUR lives.

You are my most unforgettable character, Melody Ross. I love you.
xoxo
sandi

When I first was invited to this group I thought “how nice” then I joined this group, made a donation for the wonderful cause of the new Dahlia house and also for Melody’s boots. I have seen Melody in those boots and she wore them well!! As I continuted to follow this group and be apart of all the conversations for the 24 hour period I was so blessed to be such a part of the group. I now have a whole new group of beautiful women in my life and just love each and everyone.
Melody and Kathy, BG as you know has helped me through a lot. It has changed me and it has helped me rethink life and personal situations and everyday I pray for you and for every BG out there.
Having the honor of being a part of a few BG camps is honestly one of the few highlights in my life. I stay in touch with all the BG’s from camps and have developed relationships that are far greater then I could ever imagine. I just wish now we all lived right here in Idaho!! Its magic what Brave Girls has done to so many thousands of women and its amazing how many women are so much the same and how stuck we get but we are all able to move forward and do it together.
So blessed beyond words.
XO

…there are no actual words to define this entire experience…but my love for all BRAVE GIRLS can only multiple beyond mathematical extremes…D’wana—I love you and will be with you, in my heart and Soul, as you travel in June <3 I can only pray that I will be able to make the journey in August! If asked…

The day before the auction I was tucked in with my soft bed covers reading my emails. The Brave Girls Club Daily Truth showed up in my inbox as I am used to. It just so happens that I haven’t taken the time in a while to soak in the wisdom I need from those Daily Truths. But that day, something say, “Open me,” so I did.

Of course, glorious, affirming words were there, and I was glad I had stopped by. Then I saw something about an auction and helping the sisters in Manila. I was intrigued and touched by their story as I watched the videos. I knew I wanted to do something.

Suddenly, I thought of my garnet ring. It is a ring I bought when I made a step of having my entire family come to therapy with me. I called it my freedom ring. It represented so much courage and so much putting behindness of the past. Donating that ring was a stretch, and I wanted my donation to be a stretch for me, like Melody had done with her boots.

It felt right. So right.

So I made the contacts and voila the ring was up on the site. I can’t tell you how proud I was to watch a sisterhood change the lives of others. I was proud to see the amount of self-sacrifice that happened toward this cause.

This auction made a bigger believer out of me. In retrospect, what was the chance that I look at the Daily Truth THAT day when I’d fallen out of the habit of reading? My actions, I’m sure, were driven by a Higher Source than myself. It wasn’t about me but how blessed I became.

I write this to say thank you Melody and Kathy, to say thank you Brave Girls all over the world for their BELIEF in making this difference in these young women’s lives.

God had to tap on some unaware souls’ shoulders so they would contribute to the cause. I’m glad I was one of those souls.

Never doubt that voice.

So many of us heard that voice and responded in full. I had no idea that my garnett freedom ring would have such a special calling years later.

I do not believe in accidents, but I found BGC when looking for an appropriately perfect 40th birthday gift for a good friend of mine. I think you can relate to that Melody. It was a Brave bracelet made by one of the brave girls on Etsy. I had no clue what or who any of you are but I started to follow your blog and my life has changed because of you. I was brave I just did not know it.

I have followed your story but your efforts with Dahlia house has been truly miraculous. To be a part of change that helps these young women is beyond brave. I have been aware of this problem for many years and had no idea how I could help, I thank you for affording me the opportunity from my little corner of the world and look forward to helping in the future.

You are correct Melody, we are all sisters. We love and accept each other as sisters. Thank you for giving us a place in the world.

I truly can’t put into words the gifts the whole experience has brought and the emotions attached to them- not just the money for Dahlia House and the lives changed but new friendships and connections and witnessing the spark of a simple idea fanned with love and passion and hope grow HUGE by the amazing women who can’t be stopped once started. My groovy tribe 🙂 I feel SO blessed and lucky and enriched to have been a part of this magic, to have my life intersect with theirs, these sisters I have never met, with yours, Melody, as you reached your dream. Everyone was so amazing, and an extra “boots off” to D’wana,Lisa, and Coreena. Thank you all for this magical lovely unforgettable experience and the best “loss” I ever WON! Those boots may move on, but we shall stay, even closer. Love to you all <3

Beautiful story, beautifully written…you have started and continue to nourish an amazing movement of women loving and supporting each other, becoming sisters across the miles and the differences. I know this sister is extremely grateful for all you do and dreams of one day being able to attend BGC Camp. Until then, I’m faithfully reading and following and taking action when I can. Yea for Dahlia house and our beautiful sisters in Manila!! Peace to your heart, Sara

“These boots came from Europe / made of leather so fine / oh the miles they have travelled / and the hills they have climbed / they’re scuffed and they’re worn / but they’re favorites of mine …and soon they will carry me home…”

Read all the lyrics. And if you can, take another few seconds and listen to Ali sing the sample. Don’t cry. I love you all!

What an honor it was to participate in that magical experience. Joelle & D’Wana had the idea for the Brave Girl group chat and it was amazing to watch it grow after my dear sister Coreena added me to it. Coreena is the one who created Melody’s Boot Fund group page because Facebook kept giving us “slow down” messages in the group chat – LOL (as if!) The only reason my post shows up at the top of the Facebook group page is because I knew how to pin it so it would stay up there. Lisa was exceptional at taking on the bidding challenge and collecting our donations. I was just part of the infantry as our Brave Girl army prepared for the battle of those precious boots … certain we had what we needed to take home a victory. When we were outbid, there was disappointment for sure. We so wanted those boots to stay with you, Melody. But it didn’t take long for us to realize something much bigger had happened that night. And we knew we were so very blessed to have been a part of it. Thank you, Melody & Kathy, for once again having such a profound impact upon my life. I love you … I see you ♥

Little did I know when Joelle pm’d me and a few others to see if we wanted to join her and D’Wana in combining our bids to secure the boots for Melody, what a MIRACLE I was about to witness. I think that was Wednesday night. I brazenly offered to handle the $$ and the bidding, having no idea what that would entail.
We all started inviting Brave Girl sisters, Matrilumina sisters, who invited more, and who invited more, and it started to snowball. We were doing this all on a FB private message thread, and by Thursday night the thread started to go haywire! Coreena Kornel stepped up and helped us stay on track, and had the genius idea and initiative to establish our own private FB grouppage.
I’m not sure when the donations reached $1000, but thats when I thought to myself, I really have a big responsibility now not only to this group and to Melody’s boots, but mostly to the girls in Manila — I didnt want to mess up on the auction or the $$ transfer!!!
By Friday morning, I had over 10 private message threads going, along with the big “convo” and monitoring Paypal. I left for a few hours to go work, and when I came back the snowball had turned into wildfire!!!! Cancelled all plans for the rest of the evening and took over our dining room table — my husband said it looked like “command central”, LOL!!! When we hit $2000,we all cheered like that was the greatest thing!!! And mind you, all along we were chatting and cheerleading and helping each other. There was more love given directly that night, SINCERELY, by more women TO more women than I have ever witnessed.
I started bidding when I think we had around $3500. Strategies were discussed. Future meet-ups and truth card swaps were planned. More people kept joining us. More girls increased their donations. It was a group adrenaline rush – in the best possible way!!! To witness our power was AMAZING and humbling.
Every time our bid increased we were outbid! People donated more and more up until tge cutoff time of 11:30 pm, until we had $4550!!!!!! And still we were outbid and we were trying to not be discouraged because we so badly wanted Melody to keep those boots. But WOW what a TON of money we were raising for Dahlia House!!! The synergy was jaw-dropping…. our love for Melody was leveraging our fundraising for Dahlia House. A win win love fest all around.
In the end I truly felt like we had won, BIG TIME. My only regret was that Melody and Kathy could not witness this revolutionary love fest they had created by inventing BGC. I felt so blessed to be part of this MIRACLE. And I cant wait to do it again!!! BRING IT ON!!! Lets keep going and work to save every child we possibly can who are held in this despicable slavery.

I had been watching Melody’s blog for years, then took her classes online, wanted to go to camp, but didn’t even try for a few years, and never really reached out to her out of FEAR. I thought, why would she want to have anything to do with ME, when she already has so many people as friends, surrounding her with love? Boy was I SO wrong about that. When I finally went to camp the first time, last September, I fell in love with not only Melody’s soul and heart, but also her entire family. ( I now have a grandfather AND a grandmother, something I never had before, since all of my grandfather’s died before I was born and my grandmother’s are dead now too, and at the last camp I was at, when Kathy asked her Dad how many grandchildren he had, he answered “51” and Kathy, confused, said “who had a baby that I don’t know about?” and he pointed at me and said “it’s Kellye!”) I knew after my first camp that I had to go again. And I did, last month. I was actually concerned that Melody would feel like I was stalking her because I was scheduled to be at Matrilumina too, just the week before camp, so we ended up spending two glorious weeks together. I hesitate to say this because I don’t want to sound over dramatic, but Melody was literally part of what saved my life. I was in the depths of depression and despair by the time we finally met the first time. She showed me so many things about myself just in her words and in her actions that she probably is really unaware of. She showed me that I DO matter, that I DO belong, that I CAN take care of myself (she actually told me the last two things and I will tell that little story here). One evening in Big Sur, I was coming back from the Baths and I had been feeling like I wanted some of this bread everyone was raving about that week. So I walked into the dining hall and I saw her and an AWESOME new friend of mine named Kolleen sitting at a table talking. As I was getting my bread, Melody waved me over and I said,” just a second while I butter my bread!” Then I walked over to the table where they were and sat down and the conversation turned to Melody telling me those two things that I needed to remember. I have always, I suppose since Jr High school, since I was bullied and tormented by other girls, felt left out a lot of the time, when I am in groups of women. Melody, being the wise women she is knew I needed to know that this is NOT true. After she told me that, I no longer wanted the bread that I got and I took it to my room with me but ended up throwing it in the trash. I realized that I had already gotten the “bread” that I needed in the words Melody spoke to me sitting at the table. She has also via Matrilumina, introduced me to other very powerful (spiritually speaking) women who I look up to as mentors and as heroes. These women, including Melody taught me the value of self-care, which I had not been practicing for quite some time. You might wonder why I am not in the group picture that Melody posted of the group at Matrilumina and the reason I am not in it is because I was practicing what I had been taught by these women and I was down at the baths, at Esalen, getting a much needed massage. Yes, a massage. I was REALLY sad that I missed the very end of our week together there but it WAS worth it. I thought about all of them as I was lying on that table, how each of them had touched me that week in some way or another. From some I learned patience, from some I learned how to sit up straighter, from some I learned to be more quiet (yes, I am a talker and a loudmouth. Something I am working on….), and from others I learned to love myself more. Through Melody, my tribe is growing. Through being a part of Melody’s boot fund, September and I finally realized how close we live to each other (probably less than 5-10 miles) and I am looking forward to when I recover from my surgery, when her and I can get together and spend a little Brave Girl time with each other. Through Brave Girls Club I have learned so many things about myself, and I now never want to return to the muck I was stuck in for almost 2 decades. I was honored to donate a brand new pair of boots in her auction. I was going to donate my personal pair that I had bought right before my trip to Matrilumina and wore there and at BGC, but my husband said that I should keep that pair because I had come home a changed person, even if I was sick as a dog from an infected jaw. So, he told me to buy a new pair for the auction, and I did. Turned out I had THREE abscesses. Kathy, on the last day of camp, had to take me to the doctor, and we were really bummed because we both figured we were going to spend half the day in the ER. Just by chance, on our way into town, we happened along a little doctors office that had a pharmacy just 11 doors down in a little strip mall, so we pulled in. I have NEVER been in and out of a doctor and a pharmacy in just a little over an hour before (and only paid $20 for it all) and we drove happily back to camp and had a fine time the rest of the day. Miracle can happen. I will be forever grateful to Kathy for taking the time out of her busy day to help take care of me. THAT *is* what Brave Girls is all about after all; taking the time to care about our sisters, whether they be blood or not. Whether they live near us or not. Whether they have money or not. Whether they are enslaved or not. I stayed up until the very end of the auction that night as sick as I was and while celebrating with Melody, I did not watch the end of the auction and Diane snagged that little lacy top right from my little hands, and I was happy that she got it actually. I don’t think I would have wanted to miss out on seeing how shocked Melody was after Lisa invited her to the FB page we had to create because this journey was first started in FB chat and after awhile FB got annoyed at how much we were chatting and started making us type little codes just to submit what we said. Thus, Melody’s Boot Fund was established. I am also so grateful that even though we didn’t win those boots back for Melody, we did raise so much more money to help our sisters in Manilla, more than any of us had ever dreamed we could raise. We figured we would *maybe* raise $2000. Not in our wildest dreams did any of us think that it would come to almost $5000. Sorry this is so long, but I felt the need to share just a part of my journey with Brave Girls. I will never be the same and I do have BG and Melody and her family and friends to thank for this, AND each and every BG out there. I love you all. xoxo <3 And so my journey continues…and I look forward to seeing Melody again in October at Serendipity, where I am sure I will meet even more awesome, inspiring women. Life is indeed good. Let's continue to spread this goodness. If we don't spread it around, other's don't benefit. I want to make a difference in this world and Melody and the people I have met thorough Melody have inspired me to do just that. I can't wait to recover from all of this sickness and go out and use what I have learned to help others. "Through helping others, we heal ourselves" Melody Ross quote.

Melody! I am so glad that you shared this beautiful story and I am sooo honored to have been part of it!! During the fundraising, it pained me to no end that we were completely broke. What I could do was put the word out and PRAY PRAY PRAY!! It was SOO HARD not to be able to help buy your boots back but it was so special to be part of the secret club of brave women. It was fun and exciting to follow the auction together and discuss how we would let you know what we were up to. There were lots of giggles. I have my own story of what you and the Brave Girls Club have meant to me, too long to share here, and it I am so grateful that I could be a small part of blessing you back. Love you SO MUCH sister!! Forever. xoxo

The whole experience was just totally crazy, beautiful. It was incredible to watch one person after another join the group. The messages and plans and donations were fast and furious…stepping away from the computer for 30 minutes meant missing 50 messages! Trying to keep up with the conversation was crazy! But crazy fun!

When the auction closed and we all knew those boots were going somewhere besides the feet we tried to keep them on, I had the most overwhelming sense of peace- knowing that the plan we had for those boots was different than the outcome made me realize that the whole experience was about something so much bigger. That those boots had a journey of their own to go on…one that none of us could control. Knowing that, as precious as those boots are, something so much more spectacular had happened. All I could think was that a single pair of boots completed the circle that Brave Girls was meant to be all along…a connection of one soul to another with little in common except love. So many people there for so many reasons- love of Melody, love of Brave Girls Club, love of women that have met, or never met or have yet to meet. Love of women who need a safe place to live- some of whom have already been rescued, some who have rescued themselves and some who still wait for rescue. Love of beauty and kindness and truth and all things good.

It may sound dramatic, but for me it was an all too brief glimpse into what would happen if everyone just stopped fighting and hating and abusing and just loved each other. I saw what happened. And it was amazing. And now that I know that moments like that can exist, I will never, ever stop believing that EVERYONE deserves nothing less than a whole lifetime full of those moments. And a really kick-ass pair of boots.

Well, I love the blog post and the super human efforts put forth by the Brave Girl Tribe. I have learned so much and been touched so deeply by what I saw and all that I experienced through the process. I have never been to camp, but am doing everything I can to get there. I already have some BG sisters that I feel so close too and need to be face to face (as well as hear to heart) with. I learn new good things everyday, especially about being selfless and giving more service and doing more to stretch my comfort zone. I am so blessed to have found this group of women and to experience the love and support over the last year. So grateful to have been in SR2, then BG Art, then BG Wings and now really digging deep with SR2 a dream and a journey that I get to share with my blood sister, Karen and it is bringing us closer than I even thought was possible. I so love all you guys, Melody and Kathy I hope to meet you in person someday soon and experience all that I am living vicariously through my BG sisters at the moment. And so super excited to be part of Dahlia House and eventually bringing the message to sisters in Africa and America and all over this world. Just so full of gratitude to be a small part of this GREAT big thing!

If anyone has any doubt about what all this brave girls club is all about this is it! It’s about loving and supporting each other plain and simple!!! Melody, Kathy, and all of my brave girls friends have changed and enriched my life more than I could have ever imagined. Such love and acceptance, which in turn taught me to give myself the same sweet mercy. I have learned so much about the goodness of others. And I have learned so much about myself. So blessed to be a part of such a wonderful and life changing group of brave women!!!

My dear Melody, Thank you from the bottom of my heart. never in my wildest dreams would I imagine that I could find soul sisters in women that are so”different” than me thru brave girl camp. To see that kind of love and acceptance on that magical nite on the facebook page and in chat was mind blowing. It is truly all about love, the kind of love that “sees” you and knows your every dusty corner and envelops you. This love can change the world

P.S. Since the auction, it’s been a constant state of accepting new friends who are Brave Girls as we all recognize one another and join together into one family of women who are changing the world one tiny bit at a time. I really really REALLY believe that Brave Girls is doing something vital for women and that we need to keep pressing forward, seeing each other and banding together to do whatever we can, in the spirit of Brave Girls Club! <3

From what I know-there were two different Brave Girl Groups who had the same love and idea but were unaware of each other bidding against each other in an effort to both raise money for Dahlia House but also to buy back our beloved Melody’s boots! Her special Brave Girl Boots-Your boots! At one point the two groups learned of one another and I believe joined forces-with the goal of presenting you your boots. Just like many of us quickly came together for the Manila Truth Cards -we banded together -reaching out-networking to Brave Girls around the globe. There were messages going back and forth the speed of lightning and we were in near panic. You are so loved!

I love this. I love you. From the time we shared words at CHA to the times we have chatted online and I have read, cried and re read your blogs. you have encouraged me, you have listened to me, you believed in me…. you have been you. I am a just another Brave girl from Idaho with a husband who struggles walking along this road with lots of other brave girls. loves

Cant even think of the right words to express what a beautiful story of love, humility and joy this is! So very happy to have a little ripple in the wave of goodness that is spreading in many hearts of gratitude! Wow wow wow! Sweet surrender …..

Oh Melody. I am sitting here with tears in my eyes. This whole story–this whole TRUTH–it’s beyond any words. You know that already. All I can do is thank you . . . for the multitude of ways in which you have helped me heal personally, in how you have helped so many in this world heal. And the ripples keep spreading.

I keep going back to your paragraph about loving each other madly, no matter what “label” we wear . . . this makes my heart lub-dub with joy. This. THIS is how we (I) need to live, how I need to love. Every person on this planet: beautiful. Brave. Even when they least feel like it. And if we (I) can help even one other person know they are beautitful and brave? Well, that’s the divine in action.

None of these words feel like enough to encompass what you just shared–but I will pray my gratitude and love shine through. Thank you, sweet Melody (and your whole team of angels).

Ah Melody, tears of joy! Truly those 24 hours blessed all of us. The blessing was in the giving, the friendships, Dahlia House and knowing that our sisters will find shelter and love there. One big huge campfire of love!! Love you!

Ok, I’ll go. All for the love of a sister. I had a thought of how AWESOME it would be to have all the resources in the world and buy them back for you. But I didn’t have that kinda cash. I knew they would go high! So, I prayed. I sent a message out to fellow Brave Girl Joelle, and simply said,” I am praying that whoever wins her boots gives them right back to her! ” I had in my heart an Abraham / Isaac experience. One that allowed you to be willing to give your most prized possession but in the end, the sacrifice would be spared and continue to live magically ever after! We teamed. We multiplied. We rallied. We fell in love AND WE PARTIED. The whole process was a life changer for me. As badly as I wanted you to be blessed by those boots, what I really wanted expressed was the GREAT LOVE that we have for you and the entire BRAVE GIRL TRIBE. my mind was blown at 3:05am (my time) when we “lost” the bid, but gained soooooooo much more!!!!! Tears were shed and hearts were bonded for LIFE! The boots will be exactly where they are supposed to be! And we are all the better for it!

When I emailed Melody on facebook all those years ago (2008 I think…) I had no idea what I was doing., I just felt her pain and I was in SO much pain myself with a situation at home that I just let my heart speak. To say that we became friends would not be right. I SAW Melody. Really SAW her. She SAW me, and she encouraged me, that November, when I decided to write through my pain. I wrote 60,000 words that I don’t often share but that started the change. Then, in 2011, I was laid off and given a very generous severance package. My husband told me I had to take a small part and go to Brave Girls Camp. By then I was taking Melody’s online classes, and desperately wanted to meet her. I went to camp. I will never EVER be the same. It was more than a life changing experience. It was a rebirth.

Right now, I am in the middle of losing a job. The company is folding, it’s a solar company. I’m home, but being paid, until mid April. Having said that, it just happened that I was home during the auction. I had donated a small quilt, and I was watching with wonder as bid after bid came in on a quilt that I had made, stunned. But the boots. Sometime around noon, someone sent me an invite to a group. I think i was Christine Nay, maybe, but I really can’t remember. But I accepted. I was in awe of the two women who started this grass roots effort, D’wana and Joelle, I think, I really can’t remember! But they said, if each of us donates $50, we could probably raise enough to buy back the boots and give them to Mel. I didn’t even hesitate. I donated immediately, paypaling the money to the amazing Lisa, who held all of it together for us. I watched as the group grew to almost 158 people, all committed to the boots. My heart was soaring for Melody. I fell asleep at my keyboard at 11:30, half an hour before the bidding ended. I woke up at 1 am (I am in California) and checked. We hadn’t won. I was heart broken bu I knew that our money would go to Dahlia House and that was really what mattered most. So I fell back asleep. On Monday, if I remember right, I got a message on facebook from Julie, the wonderful woman who won my quilt. She and I are now FB friends, I hope to learn more about her, she lives in Kentucky and the quilt has left my home, with a letter to her that I wrote on a piece of watercolor paper that I painted just for her. My heart is overflowing. I don’t know what else I can add here, but this is what I know. Brave Girls are not like any other women on earth. Melody Ross, Kathy Wilkins, and the Brave Girls Club staff (each and every one) have touched our hearts in ways no one can imagine. I desperately want to go back to camp again, to spend more time with them. I don’t know how, I don’t know when, but I do know that when I think of Mel and Kathy, I get “Idahomesick.” I left a huge part of me in Idaho with them…. and I’m fine with that, because they ROCK. <3 I probably left out bunches, but that's all I can write because I'm crying too hard. Before anyone says it, I know, the Brave Girl mantra "Cry Harder." 🙂 Love to all my soul sisters.